SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Bryant Black Sox Senior American Legion team and the 417 Hooks of Springield, Mo., are an evenly matched pair.
On the first day of pool play at the Mid America Premier Showcase on Thursday, they played to a 5-5 tie. Today, they were re-paired in the first round of championship bracket play and, again, it was nip-and-tuck.
Though 417 scored two runs in the top of the third, Bryant right-hander Slade Renfrow took a no-hitter into the seventh inning. The Sox rallied to tie the game 2-2 with a run in the bottom of the third then took a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth.
Renfrow made it hold up with seventh-inning relief from Coby Greiner. 417’s Aden Curly opened the inning with his team’s first hit, a single to left, but Greiner struck out Landry Delgado then induced a game-ending doubleplay ball to shortstop Noah Davis.
The Sox held on for a 3-2 win to advance in bracket play. They’ll play in the semifinals on Sunday at 1:30 p.m., against Willard, Mo., Baseball.
Renfrow retired the first 417 batters before hitting two in a row in the top of the third. An error allowed one to score then a groundout got the second run in before the Sox got out of the inning.
The Sox threatened to score in the bottom of the first when Ryan Riggs doubled and Logan Catton singled, but they were stranded.
In the second, Blaine Sears was hit by a pitch with one out. Connor Martin singled. Sears tagged and went to third on Lawson Speer’s fly to center. An error on a pickoff attempt allowed Sears to score.
After 417 took the lead without a hit in the top of the third, the Sox responded in the home half. Riggs walked and Catton sacrificed him to second. Cade Drennan singled in Riggs and the game was even.
Renfrow worked around a lead-off walk in the top of the fourth. In the bottom of the inning, Sears singled to left. He was forced at second when Martin grounded back to the mound. Speer lined a single to center and Davis blooped a single to right to load the bases for Riggs, who snapped the tie with a sacrifice fly.
Renfrow worked around a hit batsman with two out in the top of the fifth then set down the side in order in the top of the sixth.
